How to use cabochons in claw settings

Beadingschool April 7, 2022 Tutorials & TechniquesLeave a Comment

We often use glass, crystal, or other cabochons in our jewels. While usually we bezel them with the popular Peyote stitch, or lately more and more with the square stitch bezel that we started to use during the Starry Night theme, this time we will set the cabochons into claw settings made of metal.

What should you know about the claw setting

The claws have prongs on the top to catch the cabochons securely. This way, the cabochons are not covered with beads at all, and more of their beautiful shine stays visible. Moreover, the edges of the cabochons stay sharp, too, instead of the zig-zag line of Peyote, reminding us of the sleek geometric shapes of Art Deco.

The metal settings for cabochons come in different shapes and sizes for different cabochons, in gold and silver color, to make sure that you can match them to your beadwork. They always come with 4 holes, that help you to attach the beads around the cabochon.

The smaller cabochons often come already set in the metal settings. That’s the case of the slim navettes that we used for the Jaisalmer motif, and also for the Jasmine earrings that we’ve just published last week. Both of these jewels were designed using beads and components from our India-inspired Theme Box.

The bigger ones usually come separately from the claws, and you need to close the prongs yourselves. Today I’d like to share with you my best practices when setting the cabochons into their metal settings to make sure that they look nice and neat. I even have a trick for changing the cabochons later, in case you have an idea how to make your color combination even better.

What kind of tool do you need for closing the prongs?

Spoon, ideally small size you use for tea or coffee.

How to hold the cabochon?

The cab should sit on the rim of the setting, and it shouldn’t sink into it anywhere. I like to hold the cab between the thumb and index finger of my left hand, securing it with the index finger of my right hand.

There are 4 prongs on the setting, just as holes. First, I don’t close the prongs completely, I leave just half mm of distance between the cab and the prong. After closing the first one I close the one opposite of it instead of the neighboring one, then I move on to the second pair opposite of each other.

Once I’m sure that the cab will be in the correct position, I push the prongs with the back of my spoon once more, this time closing them completely.

How to attach beads to the metal claw?

This is where square stitch will come handy again!

Start adding beads (usually Miyuki Delica 11/0) all around the cab between the holes. Then bead all around the beads to connect them into a circle. This helps you to create a smoother line.

Attach beads one by one with square stitch. Some tutorials recommend attaching them in pairs, but one by one you can achieve a nicer effect, even if it’s a bit slower.

After adding all of them, bead all around through the new beads 1-2 times. These will sit exactly on top of the first circle, so from the top only one row is visible.

One more tip:

You can open the prongs again and set a different colour if you changed your mind about the final look of your jewel.

Use a knife with a thin edge. I don’t recommend doing this switch more than once, as the prongs might break of opened and closed too many times. You don’t necessarily have to open all the prongs – usually two are enough to slide in the cabochon. You can watch this video for better idea on how to do it!

I’d love to hear your tips and tricks on using claw settings! Do you like this way of working with cabochons? Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions left!

How to use cabochons in claw settings

What should you know about the claw setting